Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-05-26
THE RED SEA.
EXPLANATORY NOTES ~ o. |.
cURTlss, PH. o., o. o.

Lesson TX Of the international seriss
Second Quarterl, for sunday. Stay 10.
Tsrt OF the Lesson, Ex. Hiv, 1917
Golden Text, lisa. zilii. o.
Death Of the First Born-The destroyer
passed through the land. In every home Of
the Egyptians the eldest son was suddenly
stricken at midnight, from the frstborn Of
Pharaoh 70 the captive in the dungeon. The
land resonnded with piercing shrieks from one
end TO tho other. All was panic and con-
fusion. Both king and people, overcome with
grief and fear, pressed the Israeltes to leave
In haste, and gladly gave them, in response to
their just demands, "iewels OF silver, and
jewels of gold, and raiment"
The Israelites, who had had time TO prepare
during the preceding fouf days. formed in
great procession, which kept growing as they
went on, until there were 100000 men, be-
sides women and children and mixed multi
tude.
Moses Difficult Task-Never was intrusted
to any man a more difficult task than that
which was committed to Moses in the leader
ship Of this multitude of slaves. Nothing less
than the displays Of Gods miraculous power,
which are recorded in the history which pre-
cedes and follows, could have enabled him to
control such people
Whittier were they goingl To the land Of
Canaan. They knew not that the bones Of
that generation were to bleach in the wilder
ness. We cannot determine precisely what
course they took. 1t may be that they began
their march on the well known road to the
land Of the Philstines God, however, did
not design that they should enter Canaan this
way. They were likely to be intercepted by
the soldiers of the line Of Notifications then
extending, as Ebers believes, from Pelusium,
on the Mediterranean, to Migdol, near the
head of the Red sea. Even il they succeeded
In passing them they would be exposed TO the
attack of the Philistines in front and of the
Egyptians in the rear. Moses was therefore
directed TO lead them by the way Of the will
derness south to the Red sea. It was neces-
sary that Israel should be trained IN the will
derness in a moral, military, civil and relig-
ious school before they could be fitted for life
In CanAan. Indeed, they had to learn almost
everything that Is needful for a nation
ThS Notwithstanding 70 Egyptian usage
every other activity should have been laid
aside for at least seventy days Gen. 1, 81 that
the people might devote themselves TO mourn
ing. But most extraordinary event had oc-
curred-oyer 2,O0O, 600 Of slaves who had con-
tributed greatly to the prosperity Of the
country were leaving It with untold wealth.
Pharaoh, therefore, who Ia believed by most
Egyptian scholars to have been Mernephtah,
although he had lost the crown prince, was
impelled by every consideration Of interest to
disregard this long period Of mourning and
10 pursue the Israelites He therefore set out
with 600 chosen chariots, besides others, per-
haps, Of an inferior sort, in pursuit Of the Is
raelites, who he believed were shut up In the
wilderness lex. xiv. 81.
We may well imagine how terrified the
Hebrews were when they saw the well trained
army Of Egypt coming against them. Prob
ably they had had no military experience.
With bitter sarcasm they ask Moses II II was
because there were no graves In Egypt tths
land OF tombs) that he had led them away to
die in the wilderness. They thought there
fore, that IL would have been far better for
them to die As slaves In Egypt than to parish
In the wilderness; but God had other plans
for them
THE LESSON
The Pillar Of Cloud Tvs 10, 20-The angel
of Jehovah had been leading Israel In pillar
Of cloud by day and Of fire by night He
now goes behind them and interposes the pill
lar between the Israslites and the Egyptians,
which is light for Gods chosen people, but
darkness for the Egyptians.
The Miracle ". 2l)-Ths Iraelites now
come at evening 10 the head Of the Red sea.
Death, TO the human eye. seems 10 lie before
them and death Il behtpd them But Moses,
In accordance with the divine command,
stretches out his hand over the sea. A strong
east wind, lasting all night, lashss the waters
away from the sands and leaves dry path.
Ths miracle here does not seem 10 consist 90
much in the means used a. perhaps In the
exact adaptation Of natural means 10 open Q
way for the Israelites at tho right time
Va ~, % The people recognized Gods
hand, and, whatever fears they may have
had took this a. the only means Of escape. n
Il not necessary for US to suppose that the
waters rose up In heap on the right hand
and the lsft, but that thsrs was perhaps .
pathway between the northern part OF the
Red sea and the adjoining Bitter lakes lying
Just above, which served a. rampant Com
pare Nahum H. ~
Ths Egyptians IN their sagsFnsss did not
sssm 10 foresee the possible danger OF puFsa-
Ing the israalitas They followed class on
ths rear Of the isalnG hosts, The narrative
does not definitely say that Pharaoh joined IN
the pursuit, although it might seem 10 imply
it We know two things about hsfnephtahI
thai he took good care nat b sSpesa himself
60 BOO great danger, And that he dled la hls
hsd,
II must have bean an awful Riaht foF ,ha
israeliLas Women we're screaming and ehil'
drsn crying ~ they ned quickly before The
advancing hest
palveranee N. "a, e6-tiut IN the morn,
lag, when perhaps the hearts " the Israel
Has we're beginning " faint, dellvefaAes
ea.ae, u0d appeared lo terllfy the haypu
iians he Il spoken " ~ l0oklag ea them
lhr0ugh The pillar " cloud whalkef this
means, ~ solne think, thai the dasslinR light
" ths pillar ~ ife sia0ta 0n ihalf faces, We
40 mol know, Tie t00h OF their chariot
wheels, ~ perhaps bsttaf, as some versions
read, bound them lilavised Version, nisfaInl,
~ that they would n0t mfn II was then
that chs Hayptians fpit ths hand u uod and
gave way " fear, proposing ~ flee beeauss
uod was lighting for isfael
Destruction u The Egyptians iva ", ia
Az The Lords command Moses stretched Que
his hand over the ses, aid u returned 10 lta
sJnted now titevissd Version, nafHini In
vain The Egtptlans sought " nee. On calns
Che roaring tide aud covered them IN the
waters, 10 that there did not remain one
W ~, 10 The author once more tells
how Israel passed through the ssa, and how,
when the morning dawned, they saw the
bodies of The Egyptians which had been,
washed upon the shore
" o. Israel recognised Gods hand IN this
great dsllverance, they feared hlm and be-
lievsd IN the Lord and IN his servant Mosea.
This was AN important result, but We shall
SEQ frsn tho subsequent history how easily
they forgot God, and even tina great service
which their heroic leader bad rendered.
Nothing lees than such . great delverancs
could make an adequate impression ON the
minds OF an undioiplnsd and ignorant peo.
ple
POINTS TO ma REMEMBERED
I. When God bids us 60 forward W. should
obey, although 10 human sight the SEA Il In
front aud the eHemy behlnd.
q A miracle may take uinna NOT nnlH